The present invention relates generally to radiocommunication networks for relaying time-division multiplexed signals, and in particular to a power saving system for a time-division multiple access (TDMA) communication network for interrupting power supplies during idle periods for the purpose of minimizing power consumption.
Periodic interruption of power supplies to the principal units of repeater and terminal stations in a radiocommunication network is a scheme known as power saving. Power saving of this type is essential to the operation of radiocommunication stations located at remote places or emergency radio repeater stations which rely on storage batteries. However, the conventionl power saving scheme has a disadvantage in that a time-division multiple access communication system must be operated either on a power-saving enabled mode or a power-saving disabled mode during mutually exclusively times. Therefore, power saving operations for stations which remain idle must also be disabled.